When you mention the name John Ford, most people are going to think of westerns. However, this film, which gave the famed director his first of four subsequent Oscars for directing, was not a western at all. Far from it in fact.

Victor McLaglen plays down on his luck Irishman Gypo Nolan. A tall, strong fellow, he makes his way as a swindler and all around low-life for the most part. However, he wants to get out of Ireland and find a better life in the United States with his girlfriend, prostitute Katie Madden (Margot Grahame). The only problem is that tickets to a better life cost 10 pounds each, an astronomical sum for the broke Gypo. When delinquent friend Frankie McPhillip (Wallace Ford) arrives in town to visit his family, Gypo sees an opportunity in the 20 pound reward for his relinquishment to the authorities. After deliberation, Gypo informs on Frankie, who is killed during the assault on his house. The Sinn Fein realize that Frankie must have been pointed out by an informer and they quickly begin their pursuit for the culprit. Meanwhile, Gypo spends the evening partying and drinking with his new found riches. As the money dwindles on his escapades, Gypo becomes more and more caught up in something much worse than he originally expected.

The film won four Academy Awards; they were for Best Director, Best Actor, Best Writing and Best Score. At first, I thought this movie wasn’t going to be very interesting. It seemed like a fairly cliched story (at least by today’s standards) and seemed a bit heavy-handed and melodramatic during the first ten or so minutes. However, as the narrative progressed, I realized how wonderful a film it was. John Ford’s direction is precise and provides the right amount of suspense for the story. In return, the script has many surprises and moments of true intrigue. My favorite part of the film, however, was Victor McLaglen’s amazing turn as Gypo. He really nails the part and definitely deserved his Oscar statuette for this performance.

Even though this picture is over 75 years old at this point, it still retains all of it’s entertainment value. I would recommend this movie to classic and modern film lovers alike.